1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to bags suitable for carrying small articles and more particularly to a bag configured for convertible use as either a pannier on a cycle or as a back-pack.
2. Prior Art
A variety of forms of bags termed panniers are available for attachment to horizontal carriers fixed over the rear wheel of a bicycle to extend downwardly, alongside the wheel. These bags vary form one another in their convenience in loading and unloading, difficulty in attachment to the vehicle, capacity, the manner in which they impose a load on the vehicle, and other factors. One object of the invention is to provide a pannier which may be easily attached and detached from a bicycle; is easy to load and unload; has a relatively high load-carrying capacity; and distributes that load in such a manner as to avoid imposing unbalanced or high center of gravity loads on the bicycle.
The desirability of a pannier being convertible for use as a back-pack is apparent. For example, a student can ride a bike to school with books in the bag in its pannier mode and then carry the books on his back in the back-pack. Similarly, a back-packer can ride to a remote location on a bicycle and then convert the pannier to back-pack use. However, the configuration of a back-pack is as critical as a pannier's configuration in terms of its functional characteristics. Accordingly, it is another object of the present invention to provide a pannier which aptly serves the dual function of an improved back-pack as well.